Easy Slow Cooker Barbecue Chicken

☀️ Easy Slow Cooker Barbecue Chicken 🌿

This unexpected—and truly unwanted—heat wave calls for dinners that don’t heat up the kitchen! This easy crockpot barbecue chicken uses organic chicken breasts and a quick homemade sauce made with ingredients I nearly always have on hand.

It’s tangy, lightly sweet, and much lower in sodium than most bottled barbecue sauces.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 pounds organic boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thawed
 • 1 cup no-salt-added tomato sauce
 • 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
 • 3 tablespoons honey or brown sugar—or brown Swerve
 • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
 • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
 • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
 • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
 • ½ teaspoon onion powder
 • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
 • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
 • ¼ teaspoon salt, optional
 • Pinch of cayenne, optional

DIRECTIONS

1. Place the thawed chicken breasts in the crockpot.
2. In a bowl, whisk together the tomato sauce, apple cider vinegar, honey or sweetener, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, optional salt, and cayenne.
3. Pour the homemade barbecue sauce over the chicken, turning the chicken once to coat it well.
4. Cover and cook on LOW for 3–4 hours, just until the chicken is tender and reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Begin checking at about three hours so the chicken breasts don’t become dry.
5. Transfer the chicken to a plate and shred it with two forks.
6. Return the shredded chicken to the crockpot and stir it into the barbecue sauce.
7. Cover and warm for another 10–15 minutes before serving.

ROSEMARY THYME NOTE

If the sauce is thinner than you prefer, leave the crockpot uncovered on HIGH for about 15 minutes after shredding the chicken.

Serve it on whole-grain buns, over baked potatoes, or tucked into lettuce cups. Add fresh homemade coleslaw and sliced watermelon for an easy summer supper—without turning on the oven!

Helene

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